Go Back

A KALE & CARAMEL THANKSGIVING: BROWN BUTTER CITRUS SWEET POTATOES

Servings 6

Ingredients
  

brown butter citrus sweet potatoes

  • 5 sweet potatoes
  • 6 tablespoons salted butter
  • juice of one large orange (½ cup)
  • 1 cup dried apricots
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt

spiced walnut crunch

  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinches couple flaky sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Peel sweet potatoes, cut into 1” disks, and steam in a large stock pot with a metal steamer and plenty of water. Steam until sweet potatoes are cooked through and tender when pierced with a fork, about 20-30 minutes. (You can also boil the sweet potatoes if you don’t have a steamer.)
  • While the potatoes cook, melt butter in a large frying pan over medium high flame. Allow the butter to sizzle and pop as the water separates and evaporates. Swirl pan occasionally, and notice some of the butter solids beginning to separate at the bottom of the pan. Watch these over the next few minutes, as the butter begins to brown. When you see the butter take on an amber color and it smells nutty and fragrant, remove from heat and pour into a saucepan.
  • Juice orange (make sure no seeds slip in), and pour juice into sauce pan with browned butter. Use kitchen scissors to cut dried apricots into small strips and pieces (about ¼” width), dropping the apricot pieces directly into the sauce pan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium flame. Once they reach a simmer, reduce heat and let cook for another couple minutes, until apricot pieces are tender but not falling apart. Remove from heat.
  • Preheat oven to 375º.
  • When potatoes are cooked, remove from heat, drain water, and empty potatoes from steamer into drained stock pot. Mash with a potato masher until largely smooth, then pour in about half the brown butter-orange juice mix, without adding the apricots. Add cinnamon, maple syrup, and sea salt, and continue to mash until they become very smooth and creamy. Add in the rest of the brown butter-orange juice mix with the apricot pieces, and fold with a spoon to incorporate. Taste and adjust salt. Place lid on pot and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, mix chopped walnuts, maple syrup, cinnamon, and flaky sea salt. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet, and bake for 3-5 minutes, until sizzling and beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool. Use a spatula to remove in chunks and pieces.
  • Dish prepared potatoes into an oven-proof serving vessel and bake for 20 minutes, until the edges around the top show just a touch of brown. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with the spiced walnut crunch. Serve immediately.